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Open Seasons Order. Hunting season.

Hunting Season Opens in Ireland – Wildlife Under Fire

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The hunting season for birds and mammals has opened in Ireland.

The Open Seasons Orders (Birds) and (Mammals) list the bird and mammal species that can be hunted by individuals, and at organised hunting meetings.

From the 1st of August onwards, birds and animals can be hunted using firearms, packs of harrier and beagle hounds, and at regulated hare coursing meetings. The Open Seasons Order sets out the hunting season dates and areas of the country that legal hunting can take place.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service/NPWS are the regulatory body that issues and oversees the operation of the Open Seasons Orders.

Hunting Season Opens in Ireland – Wildlife Under Fire Read Post »

Heritage Minister James Browne.

Heritage Minister Called Upon to Protect Irish Bird Heritage

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Heritage Minister James Browne is being urged to remove all red and amber listed birds from the Open Seasons Order (Birds).

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports/ICABS said the Minister needs to act to save and protect Irish birds.

A recent High Court ruling found that the Heritage Minister’s predecessor (Darragh O’Brien), and the previous Minister of State for Nature (Malcolm Noonan), acted lawfully in removing red-listed pintail, pochard, scaup and goldeneye ducks from the annual shooting list knowns as the Open Season Order (Birds).

The National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) had brought a Judicial Reviews case to the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) (Amendment) Order 2023, which made it unlawful to hunt the four species of duck after August 24, 2023.

The NARGC made that case the minister had acted unlawfully in making the order by failing to comply with a provision of the Wildlife Act 1976.

Heritage Minister Called Upon to Protect Irish Bird Heritage Read Post »

Ban Hare Coursing Ireland. DAFM veterinary inspectors.

DAFM Inspectors Attend Only 4 Hare Coursing Meetings Between 2019-2023

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DAFM veterinary inspectors attended just four of around 200 hare coursing meetings between 2019 and 2023, while no meetings were attended in 2021 and 2023.

A reporter from the journal.ie website obtained this information in a Freedom of Information Request/FOI to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine/DAFM.

DAFM Veterinary Inspectors Report
A summary of the available DAFM inspector’s reports revealed that four coursing meetings were attended, sixteen hares were hit by dogs, a greyhound was euthanised and issued with the training of hares, escape routes and the speed at which handlers intervened were identified.

An entry in an inspector’s report that indicated that 10 hares were killed at a meeting in Clonmel, was later corrected to zero, with the reason provided that it was a clerical error.

DAFM Inspectors Attend Only 4 Hare Coursing Meetings Between 2019-2023 Read Post »

Hare Coursing in Ireland. Irish Politicians.

125 Irish Politicians Vote to Continue Irish Hare Abuse

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125 Irish Politicians have voted to continue the annual abuse of the Irish hare in the Irish countryside.

A Dáil vote was held on Wednesday 8th July on a bill introduced by Paul Murphy that would outlaw hare coursing.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, aimed to prohibit the coursing of hares with dogs by amending the Wildlife Act 1976 and the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, Aontu and Independent Ireland TDs voted against the bill, while 24 TDs representing the political parties: People before Profit-Solidarity, Labour, Social Democrats, Green Party, 100% Redress Party, and one Independent TD, voted in favour.

125 Irish Politicians Vote to Continue Irish Hare Abuse Read Post »

Two greyhunds chasing a hare. The Animal Health and Welfare.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020 Dáil Debate

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The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, proposed by Paul Murphy TD People before Profit, was debated in the Dáil on the 2nd July.

Nine TDs spoke during the debate with six TDs speaking in favour of passing the bill that would outlaw hare coursing in Ireland.

Three TDs spoke in favour of continue to use the Irish hare as a live lure for two greyhounds.

A summary of the debate provides an overview of the different opinions on hare coursing.

Paul Murphy TD, People Before Profit-Solidarity, said: “It is an honour to finally be moving this at Second Stage after the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill was first introduced in 2020. It has been a long road getting to this point. This section of the road will finish next Wednesday with a vote. I will start and finish with an appeal to the public to get on to their TDs and demand they reflect the big majority opinion in this country that we should take this opportunity to ban hare coursing.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020 Dáil Debate Read Post »

Bill to Ban Hare Coursing. Paul Murphy TD.

Paul Murphy TD’s Hare Coursing Bill Aims to Ban Irish Hare Abuse

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Paul Murphy TD’s bill to ban hare coursing will be debated in the Dáil on Thursday, July 2.

The Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, which aims to bring cruel hare coursing to an end in Ireland, is set for a Second Stage debate and vote.

Mr Murphy held a press conference in Dublin yesterday to highlight the upcoming debate. A number of representatives from Irish animal welfare organisations also attended,

Laura Broxson of the National Animal Rights Association NARA, and Aideen Yourell of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports ICABS and Conor Dowling of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals NSPCA, spoke at the conference to outline their organisation’s view on hare coursing.

Paul Murphy TD’s Hare Coursing Bill Aims to Ban Irish Hare Abuse Read Post »

Paul Murphy TD. Live Hare Coursing Bill.

Live Hare Coursing Bill Set for Dáil Debate

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Paul Murphy TD’s bill to ban hare coursing is due to return to Dáil Éireann next month, six years after it was introduced.

The Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020, which aims to finally bring cruel hare coursing to an end in Ireland, will be back on 2nd July 2026 for Second Stage debate and vote.

The bill – which was co-signed by Richard Boyd Barrett TD and then TDs Gino Kenny, Mick Barry, Brid Smith, Joan Collins and Catherine Connolly – was first introduced on 16 September 2020.

At the time, Deputy Murphy condemned coursing as “a cruel, barbaric and outdated practice”.

“It has been banned across Britain and Northern Ireland and across the entire EU, apart from three countries, including Ireland,” he stated.

Live Hare Coursing Bill Set for Dáil Debate Read Post »

Ban Foxhunting Protest outside Dáil Eireann. 25th March 2026

“Ah Go On, Go on” Ban Foxhunting says Fr Ted Star

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Ban foxhunting that was the message from actress Pauline McLynn of Fr Ted fame who was speaking at an anti-foxhunting protest outside the Dáil yesterday.

Rural Ireland Against Fox Hunting (RIAFH) organised the colourful event which drew a large attendance including representatives from anti-hunting organisations animal welfare groups, rural communities and farmers.

A number of protestors dressed up as Suffragettes in Edwardian costumes in a nod to the similar struggle to achieve change in society. Others wore fox masks, and one protester wore a traditional red fox-hunting blazer.

Addressing the crowd at the protest, Ms McLynn said that she, “cannot believe that in the 21st century, we’re still asking for a ban on fox hunting”. She went on to say, ““It just doesn’t make any sense that a very beautiful creature should be chased to within an inch of its life and then torn apart in the most excruciating death in the name of sport or even tradition.

“Just because something’s traditional, and the tiny tradition at that, doesn’t mean that it’s any good. There’s no place for it anymore.”

“Ah Go On, Go on” Ban Foxhunting says Fr Ted Star Read Post »

Anti-Hare Coursing Protest Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Hare Coursing.

Hare Coursing in Ireland – Campaign to Continue Until a Ban is Achieved

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Hare coursing in Ireland will be banned.

That was the defiant message issued by anti-hare coursing organisations as around forty people protested outside Powerstown Park racecourse, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

The annual three day national festival of hare coursing was being held at this venue. First held in 1925, and organised by the Irish Coursing Club (established 1916) there have been only two years, 1968, coursing meeting not held to a Foot and Mount Disease outbreak, 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, where hares were not used as gambling fodder at this Co. Tipperary racecourse.

During the two-hour demonstration, protestors held banners highlighting the cruelty of hare coursing and calling on the Irish government to save the Irish hare.

Hare Coursing in Ireland – Campaign to Continue Until a Ban is Achieved Read Post »

Dail Vote 17th December 2025. Ban Foxhunting Campaign.

Ban Foxhunting Campaign to Continue Despite Dáil Vote Defeat

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The ban foxhunting campaign continues.

That was the defiant message issued by animal rights organisations and supporters in response to Ruth Coppinger’s People Before Profit-Solidarity TD bill to outlaw foxhunting been defeated in the Dáil.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill 2025 was discussed for two hours in a Dáil sitting.

Later that evening, a vote was taken on the Bill which saw 124 TDs vote against and 24 voting for the Bill.

Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin imposed a whip on their TDs.

The proposed Bill aimed to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which contains an exemption for hunting.

Ban Foxhunting Campaign to Continue Despite Dáil Vote Defeat Read Post »

Ban Foxhunting Poll. Campaign to Ban Fox Hunting.

Campaign to Ban Fox Hunting Receives 72% Support

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The campaign to ban fox hunting in Ireland has received a major boost with the findings of the latest opinion poll.

The ‘Ireland Thinks’ poll, carried out on behalf of the campaign group Uplift, reported that 72% of Irish people want the cruel bloodsport banned, 17% are against a ban, while 11% of respondents were not sure.

The opinion poll also revealed the 69% of people in Munster want fox hunting banned while in contrast 15% of people in Leinster supported fox hunting.

Ireland Thinks carried out the poll across a sampling of 1,000 people last month. It asked people their views of organised fox hunting that hunt and kill foxes.
The polling results hold a margin of error of 3.1%.

Campaign to Ban Fox Hunting Receives 72% Support Read Post »

Anti-Foxhunting protest. Fox Hunting Bill.

Fox Hunting Bill Heads for 2nd Reading in the Dáil

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A fox hunting Bill will return to the Dáil for its second reading on the 17th December.

The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill 2025 aims to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which contains an exemption for hunting.

The Bill, if enacted, would add a paragraph to Section 12 to “specify that fox hunting and related practices are banned and therefore cannot be considered as lawful hunting”. Trail hunting and the snaring and trapping of foxes would also be outlawed under this legislation.

Ruth Coppinger TD, who introduced the Bill in May of this year, said that fox hunting is a cruel and inhumane blood sport and it should be outlawed.

Fox Hunting Bill Heads for 2nd Reading in the Dáil Read Post »

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